Nothing but Trouble

Book Description

ALTHEA IS NOTHING BUT TROUBLE! Everyone agrees: her mama, her daddy, her teacher, even the policeman. But when Buddy Walker, the play leader on Althea’s street in Harlem, watches her play paddle tennis, he sees something more: pure possibility. Buddy buys Althea her very own stringed tennis racket, and before long, she’s on her way to becoming a great athlete—and to proving that she’s more than just trouble.

Althea Gibson was the first African American ever to compete in and win the Wimbledon Cup. Sue Stauffacher’s lively text, paired with vibrant paintings by artist Greg Couch, captures the exuberance, ambition, and triumph of this remarkable woman.

Awards

Winner of the N.A.A.C.P Image award for Outstanding Children’s Literature

Reviews

“The prose is rhythmic and has the cadence of the street, and it’s a treat to read aloud … This is an affecting tribute to a great athlete, and a story to both enjoy and inspire.” –School Library Journal (starred review)

“[A] sharp evocation of her spirited and appealingly pricky personality, Stauffacher and Couch brilliantly capture Gibson’s trajectory from feisty, undisciplined tomboy to poised champion … Couch is a terrific match for the author, partnering her plainspoken text with vivid visual lyricism … Boys and girls of all levels of athleticism will find much inspiration in these pages.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An excellent picture book biography, easily read out loud… Nothing but Trouble is a fine example of a book that combines the author’s and illustrator’s contributions seamlessly to create a greater whole.” –Children’s Literature Network

“There are scads of pink princess books for the girly-girls out there; this one is for those who, like Althea, just care about The Game. –The Horn Book Magazine

“Bursting across Couch’s impressionistic Harlem street scenes in a blaze of color, the rangy, grinning young Gibson—the first African-American tennis player, male or female, to win at Wimbledon—seems ready to jump right off the pages of this high-energy profile. Along with paying specific homage to some of the people who helped Gibson along the way, Stauffacher ascribes her passage from wild child to international celebrity to the acquisition of social as well as technical skills…plenty of readers, athletes or otherwise, will find this tribute to her fiery spirit inspirational.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Stauffacher and Couch have found something to say about Althea that hasn’t yet been said in the realm of children’s literature and their passion in bringing Althea’s passion to life is worth taking note of. So stand back now. I’m going to say something and I’m going to say it loud. This book not only pairs well with “Wilma Unlimited” by Kathleen Krull, it may have supplanted it in my brain as my new favorite picture book sports biography. A must read pick.” –Fuse #8 Review

Q & A with Sue Stauffacher

What attracted you to the story of Althea Gibson, and why did you choose to write about her life?

I met Althea Gibson on the shelves of my local library. I was looking for candidates for a manuscript about people who were successful in life, but not so much in school. The title of the first chapter in her autobiography, “I Always Wanted To Be Somebody,” was “We Weren’t Bad, Just Mischievous.” Since that pretty much describes me, I knew I had to read more. Once I read her story from her point-of-view, I also knew young readers would love hearing about her. It’s important for young people to know about the struggles that go behind the successes, and Althea was quite a saucy girl!

How did you go about researching Gibson’s life and the information for the book?

I was fortunate to have both her autobiographies to refer back to, as well as a number of print media sources and some good adult biographies of her. The autobiographies meant the most to me, though. Althea kept excellent records, often quoting from news articles and letters in her own books. Also, I felt if I stayed close to the story the way she told it that I would please Althea. I do want to honor her memory.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I often think about a subject for years. This was the case with Althea. I knew immediately that I wanted to write about her, but it took years to figure out the approach I wanted to take.

How do you like writing fiction vs. non-fiction?

They don’t feel that different to me since I do a lot of research for my fictional books and I try to find the great stories in my non-fiction subjects.

What do you hope that young readers take away about Gibson after reading this book?

Althea’s story is instructive in so many ways. She was pure potential that, if some key people hadn’t noticed, could have been wasted. There are many young talented people today who are not taught the concept of self-discipline. Althea had to learn it, and boy was it hard! But learning to master her anger and control her game took her to the top of her sport and helped her achieve her greatest dream of winning at Wimbledon. Current tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams often mention Althea as the woman who most inspired them in their sport.

Greg Couch’s illustrations are truly remarkable. How did you feel about the artwork, and what it contributes to the overall package of the book?

A really accomplished artist will not only illustrate the book, but will find ways to deepen the story with other stories that are told visually. I think it’s a testimony to Greg’s skill that the book’s art enhances the themes of the book so well. Surrrounding Althea with a rainbow palette gives her figure the energy and passion that Althea had in real life. The interesting color scheme and the fluidity of the figures also demonstrate how creative energy used properly can make our work transcendent, as in Buddy’s sax playing. When we use our energy in negative ways, it can defeat us. This is in evidence when Althea loses her concentration when she is heckled during a game. So kids don’t just hear about it through the text, they see the energy flying all over the place. It’s fabulous.

Do you think you will write non-fiction books in the future?

I am under contract with Knopf to do another non-fiction book on Tillie Anderson, a champion bicycle racer from the 1890s and I have other manuscripts circulating. I tend to be drawn to either very quirky subjects or to really strong women. Who knows why?

What are your upcoming book projects?

In addition to the picture book, I am working on the second four issues of my literacy comic series Wireman (www.wiremancomics.com) as well as my fourth novel for Knopf.

Althea Gibson has been called the Jackie Robinson of tennis? Can you explain why?

Simply put, Althea had to break the color barrier in tennis competition. She was the first African American, man or woman, to compete and win at Wimbledon. She had many situations in her life where she was excluded from competitions, denied the right to stay in hotels, and judged unequally. Despite having a fiery temperament in her personal life and as a competitor, Althea handled most of these inequities with the bearing of the future champion she would become. I still don’t understand why she isn’t as celebrated and well-known as Jackie Robinson.

In your author’s note, you call this Buddy Walker’s story as well as Althea Gibson’s. What do you mean by that?

Well, this is first and foremost Althea’s story, but in a larger way, it’s a story about mentors of all kinds. I dearly hope people will give this book to the mentors they know. It still gives me goose bumps when I think about the day Buddy Walker looked at raggedy Althea, running through the streets of Harlem, and saw a future world champion. Behind almost every great person, you will find an inspiring mentor, who saw that greatness before the rest of the world and helped it come to fruition.

PURCHASE YOUR COPY NOW!

Nothing but Trouble:
The Story of Althea GibsonDragonfly Books, June 2011
40 pages
ISBN: 9780375865442

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SUE’S INTERVIEW ON NPR

Listen to Sue’s interview with Michel Martin of NPR’s Tell Me More. A transcription of the interview is available here.